The ban on international commercial flights has been extended till the end of August because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Modi government in June had announced its plan to issue 5 lakh free visas to foreign tourists. With the extension of the flight ban, the scheme remains only on paper.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said dedicated cargo flights and flights under the bilateral air bubble pacts with select countries will continue in August.
Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020.
Special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020 and under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July.
India currently has the bilateral agreements with about 28 countries, including the US, UK and France.
Domestic outlook
The number of active Covid-19 infections has dropped sharply since the March-May period, which has resulted in a gradual increase in domestic traffic.
Aviation consultancy firm Capa India expects about 80 million domestic air passengers and 16 million international during 2021-22, up from 53 million domestic passengers and 10 million international passengers during the last fiscal.
